Somalia Flashback
by puppypants
Summary: Ziva experiences sudden flashbacks of her captivity in Somalia, leaving her incompetent at a shootout while endangering her and Tim's lives. Can she redeem herself and save Tim from armed criminals? Established McGiva


Somalia Flashbacks

Ziva experiences sudden flashbacks of her captivity in Somalia, leaving her incompetent at a shootout while endangering her and McGee's lives. Can she redeem herself and save Tim from armed criminals?

A bullet whizzed by Ziva's head. With her heart pounding and adrenaline coursing through her veins, she still cannot will herself to move. She fights to hold back a scream that is developing deep within her core, her breath catches in her throat. Tim is alarmed to see that Ziva's gun is still in her holster.

"Ziva? Come back to me." Tim is facing her, his fingers digging deep into her shoulders as he carefully shakes her.

This is just what happened before she had been taken prisoner by Saleem followed by months of torture and anguish, diminishing any hope she would survive and convincing her she would never see anyone she loved, ever again. The vivid memories were back, pulling her into a deep, black hole and leaving her with zero strength to claw her way out. There was nothing she could do to stop it. Tim's earnest voice was faint and faraway as the predominant sound of gunshots echoed throughout the old warehouse. Tim's troubled, green eyes were unable to hold hers. She knew they were going to die. They would suffer until any last bit of hope was diminished, then they would die a slow, painful death.

Tim repeated her name but her stare was vacant and her body rigid with fear. He knew this had to do with Somalia, he just didn't know what to do to snap her out of it. The gunmen were closing in on them and they were outnumbered.

"Stop-" Ziva tried to stand, her weapon still holstered as Tim grabbed her, muffling her mouth against his chest as he hugged her to his body. His lips brushed her ear, "Ziva, I can get us out of this. Trust me." He pulled her back to take a moment to assess her, a cold sweat breaking out on her forehead. He feared she was presumably going into shock. He pulled her close, squeezing her tighter when he noticed how cold she was in his embrace. She was leaving him.

He situated her against the wooden crate, they had dove behind, minutes before, then positioned himself, taking aim to fire. He spotted three shooters, maybe more then resumed his spot next to Ziva, as she remained motionless against their refuge.

"Ziva? Please-"  
A bullet missed her head by inches as wood splintered and showered over them. Ziva did not move, her attention focused somewhere else, somewhere Tim had no way of finding. He momentarily considered the old trailer they faced then kissed the top of Ziva's head. He scooted her submissive form underneath it then took his position behind the crate to fire his weapon, dropping one of the armed men just before he yelled out in excruciating pain.

His hand bled excessively; his weapon had flew over to the other side of the crate from the impact of the bullet. He dropped back down for protection while cradling his hand when one of the shooters leaned over to grab him by the collar, roughly pulling him over to restrain him. Another handcuffed his wrists while another punched him impetuously in the face.

A beefy man with thick arms and a black beard frisked him, grabbing his badge from his belt and slamming it onto the floor then backhanding him out of sheer anger. Tim dropped to his knees.

"Are you alone?"  
"Yes-" The man punched him in the stomach. "What was that Fed?"  
Tim coughed violently then breathed in to answer. "Yes!" The man pulled Tim up by his shirt then pushed him into a chair.

"Hey. Now we have collateral, we can get out of here scott free!"  
"But, then what do we do with him, I don't want to kill a Fed-"  
"He killed Frank."  
"Us rotting in jail is not going to bring Frank back."

"Come on. We'll just dump his body. We'll be long gone before they find us."

xxx

Ziva shivered from the sweat that covered her skin, chilling her. She blinked and the world around her slowly returned. "-dump his body?"

"No...Tim."

What had happened? How did she get here? How did they get Tim? Actions of the last moments crept back, berating her. One minute they were talking, the next; shots rang out and memories of Somalia had returned, crippling her. She thought she was okay, the doctor had evaluated her months ago, confirming she was. How long had she blanked out? Her flashback was so strong it had forced her to abandon Tim and his efforts to save them...so, he had sacrificed himself to protect her.

She wasn't in Somalia, Saleem was dead and he could no longer decide her fate. She was alive and she had to put an end to their plans of abducting Tim and killing him. Gibbs and Tony would be here any minute but she couldn't take the chance they would hurt him or take him away before they arrived.

Her body jerked when she heard a sudden, loud noise, then Tim cry out in pain. She rolled out from under the flat bed to peer through the space between the crates; watching them from across the room. Tim was cuffed, his hands behind his back, slumped in a chair. There was a puddle of blood that dripped from his hand. His eyes were closed with blood covering the side of his face and a corner of his lip. She rubbed her blurry eyes then drew her weapon.

The man with the beard grabbed Tim by his shirt, shoving his gun into his cheek to rouse him. Tim's eye lids were too heavy to open, as he tried to come to.

"How could you be alone? Feds don't take suspects into custody alone, not without some... kind of backup."

"We... didn't figure... anyone would be here. I was uh, checking-"  
"Do you know what is going to happen to you if you're lying?"  
Tim sarcastically chuckled. "I'm dying either way." Ziva gasped as the man raised his hand to slam his gun into the side of Tim's head.

She held her breath then rose from behind the safety of the crates. She fired, shooting the bearded man in the arm then jumped to the side, regaining the safety of the crates before she reappeared on the other side. The other shooter was already aiming at her as she pegged him off with two shots; one to his shoulder and arm. He dropped to the ground screaming in pain. The other had Tim in front of him, shielding himself; a gun to Tim's head.

"He's dead-"  
"No, you are."

The man dropped. Ziva dove forward, slowing Tim's fall to the ground. She cradled him in her arms.  
"I'm...so sorry, Tim." She cried as she hugged him to her chest. He smiled at her, "You're back."

Gibbs and Tony entered through a side door. "NCIS! Drop your weapons!"


End file.
